The Life of Sparkman Boothe ‘Tubby’ Gresham

A pillar of the community received his wings Thursday.

Fred Carlisle, who grew up with the Gresham children, remembered Tubby Gresham as a giant in banking and as a leader.

“Tubby was a pillar of the community and his church for years,” Carlisle said. “He made the City of Holly Springs a better place.

“His leadership at the bank formed a foundation for the City of Holly Springs. He and my father (Dennis) were close friends and my dad was on the board at the bank for 40 years.

“Our families were very close. Their kids and all of us grew up together.” Tubby and his wife Frances traveled with Dennis and Martha Carlisle “all over the world together,” Carlisle said.

Known in the community as a successful banker and community leader, Gresham is also remembered by his intimate friends for his zest for life and love for children.

Born in Ashland, after his stint in the military, Gresham moved to Holly Springs to start his banking career at the very bottom as a teller in 1955. He went on to forge a 60-year banking career as president and chief financial officer and chairman of the board at the Bank of Holly Springs, retiring in 2004 but remaining on part-time until 2017. He served as chairman of the board until 2022.

His friends, like Bea Green, who also worked in the banking business at First State (Unity) Bank, remembers her friendship with Gresham’s wife Frances, who wove her into the Gresham family.

“She was my best friend for many years,” Green said. “We became friends when she came in the bank and said, `We need to be friends because our girls are the same age.”

Thus began a long relationship with Tubby and Frances and their children.

“Tubby absolutely adored children,” Green said. “He and Frances would take Rollie and Anita (Anita Gresham Barnett) to the movies on Sundays. And he loved horses and we were always getting together to ride.

“Frances rode Ranger, a walking horse, the best horse I ever saw, and had the best disposition. He supplied another horse for me. It was something just the three of us would do, ride horses on Sundays.

“Something else he loved. He loved his bulldozer. He would ride that bulldozer until dark,” she said.

Green said Gresham had numerous interests, including land.

“Whatever he needed doing, he and that bulldozer would do it,” Green said.

Gresham was also a huge fan of golf, taking up the sport and playing in Delta Seniors Golf Tournaments. He took up the sport after his adult children became golfers.

“He, Gary Barnett, Dennis Carlisle and Blanton Jones were good friends and played golf together,” Green said.

Green praised Tubby as a banker, humble and starting out at the bottom and eventually leading the bank as chairman of the board.

“He was a wonderful banker and his son Steve is a wonderful banker, too. He learned at the foot of the master,” she said.

Jeana Roland, served as Tubby’s personal secretary and now is Steve’s, Green said.

“He was crazy about her and she was crazy about him. Yes, she loved Mr. Tubby,” Green said.

Tubby, son of Elizabeth and Mar vin Gresham of Ashland, married Frances May 11, 1954. He entered the military and served in Korea.

Martha Carlisle, and her husband were close friends with the Gresham family and they traveled together.

“Tubby and Francis took me and Dennis to the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.,” Carlisle said. “Tubby was a good driver. We went to many many Mississippi Bankers conventions with them.”